- 8 hours ago
🏘️ Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) - Season 27 Episode 18
Justice has many faces. In Episode 18 "The Confession That Broke the Case", the SVU team investigates a complex assault allegation where the victim's story doesn't add up — until a shocking confession reveals a deeper conspiracy. As Benson and the squad dig deeper, they uncover a web of lies that threatens to destroy innocent lives. Who is telling the truth... and who is playing the system?
🔹 Episode Highlights:
• Complex case: a victim's inconsistent testimony hides a darker truth
• Confession twist: a surprise admission changes the entire investigation
• Benson's dilemma: balancing empathy with investigative integrity
• Team under pressure: Fin, Velasco and Rollins race against time
• Signature SVU intensity: moral complexity + emotional depth + courtroom stakes
🔹 Series Info:
• Format: Police Procedural / Crime Drama / Legal Serial
• Original Network: NBC (US) / Peacock / International Syndication
• Series Launch: 1999 | Season: 27 | Episode: 18 | Title: "The Confession That Broke the Case"
• Setting: New York City, USA | Language: English
• Runtime: ~42-45 minutes (full) | Clip/Highlight version: ~10-15 min
🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to Law & Order recaps & true crime podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts.
👉 Enjoying the series? Hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and comment: "Did the confession surprise you? 👇" Turn on notifications 🔔 for Episode 19!
#ShowTVMovies #LawAndOrderSVU #NBC #TheConfession #S27E18 #CrimeDrama #SVU #MariskaHargitay #BingeWatch #SpecialVictimsUnit
⚠️ Copyright Disclaimer: This video is shared for promotional, review, and informational purposes only. All rights to "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" belong to NBCUniversal, Wolf Entertainment, and associated producers. This upload complies with Fair Use guidelines (Section 107, U.S. Copyright Act). No copyright infringement intended.
Justice has many faces. In Episode 18 "The Confession That Broke the Case", the SVU team investigates a complex assault allegation where the victim's story doesn't add up — until a shocking confession reveals a deeper conspiracy. As Benson and the squad dig deeper, they uncover a web of lies that threatens to destroy innocent lives. Who is telling the truth... and who is playing the system?
🔹 Episode Highlights:
• Complex case: a victim's inconsistent testimony hides a darker truth
• Confession twist: a surprise admission changes the entire investigation
• Benson's dilemma: balancing empathy with investigative integrity
• Team under pressure: Fin, Velasco and Rollins race against time
• Signature SVU intensity: moral complexity + emotional depth + courtroom stakes
🔹 Series Info:
• Format: Police Procedural / Crime Drama / Legal Serial
• Original Network: NBC (US) / Peacock / International Syndication
• Series Launch: 1999 | Season: 27 | Episode: 18 | Title: "The Confession That Broke the Case"
• Setting: New York City, USA | Language: English
• Runtime: ~42-45 minutes (full) | Clip/Highlight version: ~10-15 min
🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to Law & Order recaps & true crime podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts.
👉 Enjoying the series? Hit LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and comment: "Did the confession surprise you? 👇" Turn on notifications 🔔 for Episode 19!
#ShowTVMovies #LawAndOrderSVU #NBC #TheConfession #S27E18 #CrimeDrama #SVU #MariskaHargitay #BingeWatch #SpecialVictimsUnit
⚠️ Copyright Disclaimer: This video is shared for promotional, review, and informational purposes only. All rights to "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" belong to NBCUniversal, Wolf Entertainment, and associated producers. This upload complies with Fair Use guidelines (Section 107, U.S. Copyright Act). No copyright infringement intended.
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Short filmTranscript
00:01In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous.
00:06In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as
00:13the Special Victims Unit.
00:14These are their stories.
00:20This one was supposed to be done hours ago.
00:23Not the front desk deal with it.
00:25Housekeeping!
00:27Don't just say we didn't try.
00:31Housekeeping!
00:32The lead down to six, 78-72.
00:37Washington will slow this down.
00:40Looking for something out of this possession.
00:42They come away empty on their last four trips.
00:45That's allowed New York back into this game.
00:48Wall pounds it with the left, now gives it to Kemba.
00:50Hello? Housekeeping!
00:52He closes off right side, tied up.
00:55In the big bodies goes baseline to Arnold who drives his baseline.
00:59Take care of the ball!
01:00And there's a whistle on the plane.
01:05Call 911!
01:06What?
01:07Why?
01:08What's wrong?
01:16Evening Kate.
01:17Detectives, good to see you.
01:17Is this a drowning?
01:19We hear that right?
01:20Attempted.
01:20EMTs resuscitated the Vic, rushed him over to Sinai.
01:23Okay.
01:23Any idea how he's doing?
01:24About my pay grade.
01:25But if I were you guys, I wouldn't hold my breath.
01:29Sorry, that's not what I meant.
01:30Don't worry about it.
01:34Bound and dumped in a tub.
01:36You ever seen anything like this?
01:37Nope.
01:38This is a first.
01:39Lucky us.
01:40Front desk said that he checked in under John Smith and he paid cash.
01:44All right.
01:44So pseudonym, skeevy hotel with hourly rates.
01:47You think our Vic was a pro?
01:48Or the client.
01:49Hmm.
01:49It fits with the booze, oil, condoms, and a healthy amount of coke.
01:53Okay, so party gone wrong?
01:55No wallet, no phone.
01:57All right.
01:57Let's get the unis, the canvas, the neighborhood, pull footage.
02:00I mean, there's always a chance that they dumped it nearby.
02:02Okay, hang on a second, hang on.
02:04We got party favors.
02:07Zip ties, a box cutter, and a snub nose.
02:12Oh, so somebody brought a kill bag to the party.
02:14Which suggests that it wasn't a crime of passion.
02:16Yeah, but why leave the bag behind if Vic wasn't stabbed or shot?
02:20Maybe the perp got excited, panicked.
02:22Unless, unless it wasn't his bag.
02:24Well, who's ever stuffed this is?
02:27There is something seriously wrong with him.
02:29Wow.
03:20Hey, any luck I ding the victim?
03:22Yeah.
03:22Uh, Ian Larkin, age 37, his fingerprints lit up safest.
03:26He's a repeat customer.
03:28He's got multiple priors for prostitution, drug possession.
03:31He's been in and out of the system since he was 18.
03:33Including a 90-day stint last year.
03:35Any idea where he was living?
03:36Last known address in the Lower East Side, but the building came down in September.
03:40We did find a family address out in South Orange, though.
03:42Okay.
03:43So, Rollins and I could head there in the morning and talk to the family.
03:45Want me to swing by Mount Sinai on my way home?
03:47You know what?
03:48Oh, sorry.
03:48One sec.
03:49Venson.
03:49Mm-hmm.
03:53Oh.
03:54Okay.
03:55Yeah.
03:56Thanks.
03:58Well, there's no need for you to stop by the hospital.
04:01You?
04:02Dead.
04:03He never regained consciousness.
04:07So, I want to hang on to this case.
04:09Um, I'm going to call Homicide myself.
04:12They're short-staffed, so I'm sure they won't mind the help.
04:15Why don't you head to the MU's office in the morning and see if you can find out what really
04:19happened to Ian?
04:24Should we start with the drugs found in the room?
04:26Sure, sure, Doc.
04:27Well, it wasn't cocaine.
04:29Really?
04:30Meth?
04:31Benzos.
04:31So, the perp drugged Ian, knocked him out?
04:35Wrong again.
04:36Talk screen was negative.
04:37Mr. Larkin was clean.
04:38Turns out he was rendered unconscious the old-fashioned way.
04:41Cracked on the head.
04:42Hotel lamp.
04:44After that, the victim was restrained with the zip ties.
04:47Deep cuts.
04:48Meaning Ian struggled.
04:49And then the killer strangled him.
04:51Underwater.
04:52In the bathtub.
04:53Not the bruising around the neck.
04:55I thought Ian was alive when the cleaning staff found him.
04:58Best guess, he suffered a hypoxic blackout while being strangled.
05:03Stopped struggling and sank.
05:05Killer assumed he was dead.
05:06And after they left, Ian regained consciousness.
05:09Poor guy.
05:10So he was just stuck in that bathtub?
05:13For how long?
05:14Judging by skin maceration, hours.
05:19How were we with DNA?
05:21Lousy.
05:22Literally.
05:23Bargain bin hotel means we've got samples coming out our ears.
05:27Loads of cross-contamination.
05:29We'll run it all, but...
05:30Need a little nice, Dad.
05:31Just about.
05:35Ian was a good kid.
05:37Kind.
05:38Had his mother smart, thank God.
05:41He could have done anything he set his mind to.
05:43Yeah, were the two of you close, Louis?
05:45Uh, I suppose.
05:47Looking back, maybe there are things I should have done better with, but...
05:51Well, I think it always is easier in hindsight, right?
05:56Um, when was the last time you, you saw Ian?
06:00Uh, he was...
06:02I think he was here this morning.
06:06Did you get to see him?
06:09How long has he been like this?
06:11He's going on two years now.
06:13Went downhill after Ma died.
06:15Another gift from Ian.
06:16Yeah.
06:17Families tend to bear the brunt of addiction.
06:20Oh, yeah.
06:20Well, my brother was definitely the kind of junkie he used to manipulate people.
06:24Our folks, most of all.
06:26They lost their savings because of him.
06:28It was terrible.
06:28Emma had to go back to work.
06:3067 years old.
06:32Put her in an early grave.
06:34When did Ian start using?
06:36As long as I can remember, I started in high school.
06:39Never looked back.
06:40Louis, did Ian ever talk about, um, his friends or other people in his life?
06:46I think he should be home soon.
06:49School be letting out.
06:51Okay.
06:51It's almost a relief that Ian's dead to know we don't have to pay for his mistakes anymore.
06:56I guess that makes me a bad person.
06:58No.
06:59Makes you human.
07:02Listen, do you happen to know where Ian was living?
07:05Uh, yeah.
07:05Unfortunately, he, uh, conned a check out of my dad last month for me.
07:09Finds you the address.
07:16Pretty bleak existence.
07:17Yeah, welcome to the life of an addict.
07:19We got supplements.
07:22Well, steroids.
07:23Syringes.
07:25Got some crystal here.
07:26Hey, I found a tablet.
07:28Battery's dead.
07:29Maybe we can pull some emails or texts.
07:35It looks like Ian went shopping.
07:37A bundle of zip ties.
07:40Empty packaging for a box knife.
07:43Oh, hey.
07:44Hey, look at this.
07:45Some bowls of crushed up pills.
07:49Put money on them being benzos.
07:51If Ian is the one who brought that bag to the hotel, what was the plan?
07:57Huh?
07:58Kink gone wrong?
07:59Like Rob to John?
08:01Then something went sideways.
08:03We are left with a boatload of questions.
08:05You might have an answer to one of them.
08:07I swear Ian was the day he died.
08:13Pro Fighter Expo.
08:14I gotta say, this is a new one for me.
08:16Ian was a man of culture.
08:18All right.
08:18Let's split up.
08:19Let's see if we can find somebody who recognizes Ian.
08:25What's that face?
08:27That's Buffalo Joe.
08:29That's Hawkins right there.
08:31That's Chris the Scary Finity.
08:33What's going on here?
08:34I'm a fan, all right?
08:36When I was a kid, I used to watch these flights of my uncle.
08:39He'd splurge on a pay-per-view.
08:40We'd stay up late on a Saturday night.
08:42We'd eat a bunch of junk food.
08:43We'd watch it.
08:44Beat the snot out of each other.
08:45All right.
08:46All right.
08:46Fanboy.
08:47Let's keep the questions to the case.
08:49Okay.
08:49No promises.
08:50And don't ask for too many autographs.
08:56Excuse me.
08:57Hi.
08:57Captain Olivia Benson with the NYPD.
08:59I didn't do it.
09:00I just need a moment of your time.
09:02Okay.
09:03Hon, you are barking up the absolute right tree.
09:08Yeah.
09:09I'm always happy to support the Babes in Blue.
09:12Well, thank you.
09:13I appreciate that.
09:13I'm wondering if you've seen this man.
09:16He might have been in two days ago.
09:17You know what I have seen?
09:18What?
09:19I've seen that you've got a spectacular set of baby browns.
09:22Well, thank you.
09:23That's very kind of you.
09:25And those scams aren't bad either.
09:27Okay.
09:27Big, big money with sticks like that in this line of work.
09:31Noted.
09:31You know, I think crowds really go for Amazonian broads.
09:35Okay.
09:35I think it's a dominance thing, but how's your right hook?
09:37Uh, it's actually not bad.
09:39I bet it's pretty good.
09:40Yeah.
09:41Can I...
09:41Have you seen this man?
09:43Huh.
09:43I don't know.
09:44Maybe.
09:45Maybe not.
09:46I'm...
09:46Do you know that my time is valuable?
09:49Really?
09:51All right.
09:51Well, you could've fooled me.
09:53Okay.
09:54All right.
09:55I like them spicy.
09:57If you're a little low on funding, we could make some kind of arrangement.
10:00You know?
10:01I know my way around a pair of handcuffs if that floats your boat.
10:03Well, that's tempting.
10:04But, um, I think today I'm gonna, I'm gonna stick with cash.
10:08Uh, will that do it for you?
10:11Do something.
10:13Have you?
10:14Yes, I've seen your fella.
10:15He was here on the day the expo opened.
10:18Okay.
10:18Did you speak with him?
10:19Tried to sell him a photo, half price, and Prick turned me down.
10:23I mean, who?
10:23In what world?
10:24Right?
10:25Um, did you, did you happen to notice?
10:27Was he with anyone?
10:29I didn't notice, no.
10:30Did you notice where he went after?
10:32Same place as everybody else to see the headliner.
10:35Thank you very much.
10:37Thank you very, very much.
10:44Deuce.
10:45Keep these folks in one line, will ya?
10:47And make sure they have cash.
10:51Excuse me.
10:52Do you mind if I take a peek at that?
10:54Oh, yeah, sure.
10:54Thanks.
11:22I can't say the kid looks familiar.
11:24He would have been here on Friday.
11:25I mean, it's possible, but, uh, I've seen a lot of folks this weekend, and unfortunately
11:30the old memory ain't what it used to be.
11:33Occupational hazard?
11:34Forty years of taking shots to the dome.
11:36Right.
11:37Yeah, I gotta ask, what's with the mask?
11:40Oh, intimidation.
11:42Walk out to the ring wearing something like that, you get in the other guy's head
11:46before you've even thrown a punch.
11:48Plus, the fans go nuts.
11:49Oh.
11:52Everybody loves a character.
11:5480 bucks, made in the USA.
11:57You keep the credit card receipts?
11:59Cash only, uh, Uncle Sam gets sticky fingers otherwise.
12:02Yeah.
12:03What about, what about the photos that you take with fans?
12:05Do you have any digital copies?
12:08Polaroids.
12:08I'm old school.
12:11Uh, I feel like I'm kinda striking out for you guys.
12:15Wish I would help.
12:16We're used to it.
12:17Occupational housing.
12:18Um, I have to ask you where you were on Friday night.
12:22Sure, uh, we wrapped up here and then, that's right.
12:25And then Sharon and I, we spent the night with a couple of the bruiser fight guys.
12:29Oh, speaking of.
12:31Hi.
12:31Hi.
12:32Sorry, I'm Sharon Hunsinger, Clint's agent.
12:35Crowd's getting restless, I really need him back.
12:37Okay, well thank you so much for your time, Mr. O'Neill.
12:40And if there's anything that you do think of or anything comes back.
12:43Oh yeah, Clint, I will.
12:45Um, who knows?
12:47Maybe something that'll shake loose.
12:51Hey, Kat.
12:53So, off this new lens of professional fighting, we pulled the paper archives, found a mention of Ian in the
12:58Post back in 2002.
12:59Local boys looking for a fight.
13:01Yeah, so the article talks about Ian and these other teen superfans.
13:04The bruiser fighting championship.
13:05It's kind of like a local MMA precursor got real popular.
13:09They would hold these tough dude tournaments, right?
13:12Basically like legalized street fights, real big personalities, very few rules.
13:16Boxers like O'Neill, judo guys, grapplers, and they'd all try to kill each other.
13:21It got real brutal, real brutal knockouts, lots of blood.
13:24And you would watch this with your uncle?
13:26Yeah.
13:27Oh yeah.
13:27Yeah, we loved it.
13:28It was amazing.
13:28We weren't the only ones either.
13:30Ian, these other kids, they were, they were like, like, obsessed.
13:35Never missed a bout.
13:36They had to hang out so much, some of these fighters would get to know him.
13:40They would take him under their wing.
13:41Hey, Teru was able to pull some emails from Ian's tablet, and one in particular stands out.
13:47The day before Ian was murdered, he got this email from a user named Razor Crazer.
13:51Keep your mouth shut, you tell anyone about us, and I'll effing kill you.
13:57Razor.
13:58Oh yeah, here it is.
13:59Okay, here's a photo of Ian back in 2002 with another kid named Roddy Razor Ray.
14:04I mean hopefully.
14:07Yeah?
14:08No!
14:11No!
14:13Agh, putz me, wife!
14:20No!
14:24No!
14:26No!
14:27No!
14:44Yo, Raze, good fight, man.
14:46Appreciate it, kid.
14:47Hey, you Ronnie, right?
14:49It's Razor.
14:50Why?
14:51Well, we're police.
14:52We want to talk to you about Ian Larkin.
14:55Yeah, I don't have anything to say about him.
14:56Oh, yeah?
14:57Why's that?
14:58Because the dude is a craghead who can't be trusted.
15:01Is that why you threatened him?
15:04I don't know what you're talking about.
15:05Keep your mouth shut or I'll kill you?
15:07Sounds pretty threatening to me.
15:09Yeah, me too.
15:11So where were you last Friday night?
15:15Oh, half a case deep.
15:17Why?
15:18Because Ian Larkin is dead.
15:23You know anything about that, Razor?
15:28How'd you get those scratches?
15:32Did you not just see us jack each other up in the ring?
15:35Yeah, I know, but, you know, they could be from a different kind of fight.
15:38And do you mind telling us why you wanted Ian to keep his mouth shut?
15:41It's private.
15:43Okay, we can keep a secret.
15:44I said it's none of your business.
15:46Everybody, why don't you call me?
15:46Do not touch us!
15:47No!
15:48Not your best man.
15:49I said not to touch us!
15:50Put your hands behind your back.
15:53It doesn't matter how many times you guys asked.
15:56I didn't kill Ian.
15:56We heard you, but there's still an issue of you not having an alibi.
16:00Well, not to mention you threatening to kill Ian.
16:03I didn't mean it like that.
16:04Okay, how did you mean it?
16:05You never told one of your friends you were going to kill him?
16:08I mean, I've known the kid for a long time.
16:10All right, so you two met as fans of the Bruiser fights.
16:13So tell me about them.
16:15It was fine.
16:17Good, I guess.
16:17We spent a lot of time with the fighters?
16:19Yeah, every chance we could, after an event, in the gym, wherever.
16:24I mean, we wanted to learn, so you did what they told you.
16:29Maybe some of the guys took it a little too far, but they were stars.
16:36That's just the way it was.
16:37And Ian?
16:39Soft.
16:40Yeah, you couldn't handle things.
16:43Like, what kind of things?
16:47Being messed with.
16:50Okay, well, that's a lot of responsibility for a teenage boy, right?
16:55Who's hanging out with their idols, guys that were heroes to them.
16:59That's also an easy way for kids to get taken advantage of.
17:03You ever see that happen?
17:09You know, Razor, childhood victims often carry the weight of the abuse, right?
17:16They carry the shame.
17:18But the only one that should feel shame are the adults that betrayed them, the adults that
17:25failed them.
17:29You know, at first, it was like a dream, getting to watch those guys train and fight.
17:37You get close to them.
17:41You know, maybe share a couple drinks, smoke some pot.
17:45Makes you feel older and important.
17:47Yeah.
17:51That line gets blurred.
17:55Yeah.
17:56One of them starts being physical and touching.
18:02It felt gross.
18:04So that's what predators do.
18:06They make things that should feel really scary.
18:11They make those things normal.
18:14Normal.
18:18Can you tell us his name?
18:21Your abuser?
18:26Clint.
18:29Clint O'Neal.
18:34And you could come forward and hold O'Neal accountable for what he did?
18:40Screw that.
18:43I'd be a joke.
18:44Not about the front of my career.
18:46It's been Sunday nights at a VFW bleeding for a few dozen people.
18:50What are you really losing?
18:51This doesn't seem like much to you, but fighting.
18:55It's just the only thing that I have ever been good at.
18:59I'm not about to risk it.
19:04I don't understand.
19:07He never said anything to me or to our parents.
19:12So it's very common for victims of sexual abuse.
19:17Especially young men.
19:21I-I resented him.
19:23I treated him like he was a burden.
19:26God, what's wrong with me?
19:28I was so relieved when I found out he was dead.
19:31Sean, you didn't know.
19:32I should have.
19:34He's brother.
19:36If I had seen something, I could have helped.
19:38You can't think like that.
19:40Yeah, it's my fault.
19:41I got him into all that fight crap.
19:44Buds of mine used to hang around those shows.
19:46Um, do you remember any of their names?
19:49Probably.
19:50Okay, well, we would love to take a look at Ian's belongings, if you have any of them, in case.
19:56Yeah, yeah.
19:56Ian got off probation last year and moved in with Dad and me, and Ian left most of his stuff
20:01behind.
20:01Yeah.
20:04Yeah, I get it.
20:05Okay, thanks.
20:06Didn't go well?
20:07I spoke to Sean's high school friends.
20:09All three spent lots of time with the fighters, including O'Neal.
20:13One moved away, refuses to talk to me.
20:15The other insists never saw anything.
20:17And the third?
20:18Jumped off a bridge ten years ago.
20:20Okay, so O'Neal's alibi is holding up.
20:22He had dinner with Sharon Hunsinger, his agent, and two other people, and the GPS from his phone
20:28shows that he went straight back to his hotel, which was clear across town from where Ian was found.
20:34All right, so if it is O'Neal, we're going to need more to connect him to Ian.
20:37Well, we went through Ian's belongings as mostly junk, but we found a journal from around 2005.
20:42He writes about the abuse in detail, locations where it happened, specific acts that he was forced to be engaged
20:53in.
20:53He even talks about how he blamed himself, but he never names O'Neal outright.
20:59Also turned up records of a payment Ian received around the same time for a whopping $1,200, labeled as
21:05reimbursement for expenses.
21:07He signed an agreement for that money, one with confidentiality, non-disparagement clauses, and release of any claim to litigation.
21:13Who was the agreement with?
21:15A defunct LLC called Fight Reps Incorporated, owned by Sharon Hunsinger.
21:22His agent?
21:23Yeah.
21:24Makes this interesting.
21:29Correspondence with a law firm.
21:30From last year.
21:33Ian wanted to sue Sharon and O'Neal.
21:36According to the lawyer's notes, Hunsinger flipped out when the firm contacted her over a potential suit.
21:40So maybe if Ian popped up recently, she wanted to keep him quiet.
21:45Or cover it up.
21:47Look, I'm going to give Sharon a little squeeze and see just how loyal she is to her favorite client.
21:57Be lying if I said the fight game was easy.
22:00People would rather watch Inbred slap each other on the internet, but I managed to keep the place afloat.
22:06Might not be fancy offices on Park Ave, but my guys know I'm dedicated.
22:11Well, you certainly go the extra mile.
22:14Well, clients love a personal touch.
22:16That's curious phrasing.
22:19Considering that Clint O'Neal sexually abuses teenage boys.
22:23What the hell he does?
22:24It's a ridiculous claim.
22:25I never heard such a thing.
22:26Come on, Sharon.
22:27We know that you paid a settlement to Ian Larkin on behalf of Clint over 20 years ago.
22:33Two decades?
22:34I'm supposed to know who that person is?
22:35Well, you had multiple conversations with Ian's lawyer about a potential lawsuit.
22:40I have all the records to prove it, so yeah, I expect you to know who that is.
22:47Okay, yeah, maybe that name sounds familiar.
22:51You don't understand.
22:52I know Clint.
22:54He isn't capable of that.
22:55What makes you so sure?
22:58Clint's more than just my client.
23:00He's like family.
23:01Stuck with me thick and thin.
23:03And some drug addict from years back wants to ruin his legacy?
23:07I can't have that.
23:09That sounds like motive for murder.
23:12What do you mean?
23:14Well, Ian's dead.
23:15He was killed opening night at the convention.
23:18So tell me, what happened, Sharon?
23:20Were you scared he was going to make a scene?
23:23I'd ruin the whole business?
23:26You can't think that I would ever...
23:28Well, you said it yourself.
23:29You had to protect Clint's legacy.
23:32Legacy.
23:33Yeah, but I couldn't overpower him.
23:34You could.
23:35If he was incapacitated, couldn't you?
23:42Clint didn't go back to his hotel after dinner.
23:47Where did he go?
23:48I'm not sure.
23:50Sonny wanted to take a stroll around the city.
23:54After I paid the bill, I saw Clint left his phone on the table.
23:59I brought it back to his hotel.
24:02I left it with a front desk and...
24:07I didn't see Clint until morning.
24:15So, Clint, your alibi fell apart.
24:19We know that you didn't go back to your hotel.
24:21I'm a pretty shrewd move, leaving your phone.
24:23Mm-hmm.
24:25See, that's a mistake.
24:26I told you.
24:28Memory ain't what it once was.
24:30So I got turned around on the way back to the hotel.
24:33Not a crime.
24:34Okay, so the problem with that...
24:36is that we have you on camera.
24:39One block from where Ian Larkin was murdered.
24:42I must have walked further than I thought.
24:45Man, you lied about not knowing Ian Larkin.
24:49Come on, Clint.
24:49It's pretty hard to forget someone that you sexually abused.
24:54Not to mention somebody that you had your agent pay off to cover for you.
24:59Do you have any idea the nonsense people have made up about me over the years?
25:05It's a cost of doing business, but everybody wants a piece of the champ.
25:09So the champ.
25:10So you're saying that you're the victim here?
25:14Ain't the villain.
25:15I'll tell you that.
25:17Okay.
25:17Well, let's say that that's true.
25:19And you didn't intend for any of this to happen.
25:21I mean, we know that Ian came to you with bad intentions.
25:26We know that he had zip ties.
25:28He had drugs.
25:29He had a gun.
25:30Maybe you did just want to talk, but Ian threatened you, attacked you, caught you off guard.
25:37Maybe he was trying to hurt you.
25:38That may self-defense, right?
25:40It certainly is.
25:42And if it is self-defense, in that case, then we can help you.
25:46But if we're going to help you, we need to know the truth.
25:52Yeah.
25:55Yeah.
25:56Yeah, maybe there's a story I can lay out where, uh, this junkie tried to get one over on me.
26:05Thinks I'm too old.
26:07I lost a step.
26:10This paper-thin twerp thought I was stupid.
26:14Like I couldn't see his game a mile away.
26:17Tried to put hands on me.
26:21So I smack him a couple of times, you know, just a warning, give him a chance to walk away.
26:25But, uh, he keeps coming, crying and whining.
26:33Pathetic.
26:35But, you know, guys like that don't learn.
26:40You got to teach them.
26:42Show them there's a cost for coming at the big dog.
26:48And you know what?
26:50I think the kid got it.
26:53I think the kid finally learned his lesson.
27:00Right there at the end.
27:04Just as a light left his eyes.
27:16Is that what you were hoping to hear?
27:20Because it's nonsense.
27:23Stuff I'd say to hype up a fight.
27:25But that's an act.
27:27It's a gimmick.
27:28Sure, I might talk like a killer for the fans, but it's just that.
27:34It's talk.
27:36And, uh, I'm pretty sure you don't have the evidence to prove otherwise, so it's all the same.
27:46I'd like my lawyer.
27:58That was quite the performance.
27:59Yeah.
28:00O'Neal may be crazy, but he's good at playing a role.
28:02Yeah, he's going to use it to his advantage.
28:04I mean, he's charismatic.
28:05He's good with the crowd.
28:06He's not the kind of person you want in front of a jury.
28:08They'll eat him up.
28:09Which means we need more.
28:10What about other victims?
28:11We tried, but between it being so long ago and there being no real record of these boys,
28:16I mean, we came up empty.
28:18Well, either we tell O'Neal directly to Ian, or he walks.
28:25Razor.
28:27I already gave my answer.
28:28I know.
28:29I know.
28:30I know.
28:30I'm not changing my mind.
28:31I know.
28:31Now what?
28:32What are we doing here?
28:33Because I'm on the clock.
28:34All right.
28:34So I found one of Ian's journals, and I thought you should read one of his entries.
28:43Just read it.
28:47I'm just tired of it all.
28:49Putting on a face, going through the motions, waking up every day.
28:53And if it weren't for...
28:55Hey, Preeti.
28:59Look, if it weren't for Razor, I would have checked out a long time ago.
29:05Because I can't leave him alone.
29:07It's just us.
29:09No one else understands.
29:11They don't get it, but we do.
29:15And if I give up, then the guy who hurts us wins.
29:19And that would piss off Razor more than anything.
29:26It's a cheap shot, lady.
29:27Maybe.
29:29But it's the truth.
29:31And I wish that it weren't the case.
29:34But it is.
29:36Razor, if you don't come forward, then O'Neal gets away with everything.
29:40Everything that he did to you.
29:42And everything he did to Ian.
29:50The state of the room, along with extensive subdermal bruising on the victim's arms and torso, points to a violent
29:58struggle.
29:59And Larkin fought back.
30:01Yes.
30:02Unfortunately, a basilar skull fracture led to a number of intracranial hematomas.
30:07Those, along with extensive damage to the victim's larynx, would indicate that he suffered greatly before he died.
30:15Do these injuries on Mr. Larkin tell you anything about his attacker?
30:20Laryngeal trauma this severe requires a person of significant strength.
30:25Someone like Mr. O'Neal?
30:28Yes.
30:29No further questions.
30:31Ms. Horowitz, is my client the only person of significant strength in the New York area?
30:39Probably not.
30:40Do you know how many strong individuals were in Manhattan at the time of Mr. Larkin's death?
30:45No, I couldn't say.
30:47Fair enough.
30:49Could you say how many unique DNA samples you recovered at the scene of the crime?
30:53Thirty-four.
30:54And of the thirty-four, did any match Mr. O'Neal's DNA?
30:58They did not.
31:00Tell me, did the NYPD even bother with those other suspects?
31:04Or had they already decided my client was guilty?
31:07Objection!
31:08Argumentative!
31:08Withdrawn.
31:09Thank you, Ms. Horowitz.
31:14Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
31:17I do.
31:21Mr. Ray, when did you first meet Ian Larkin?
31:25I was fifteen.
31:27We were both Bruiser Fight fans.
31:30Honestly, I didn't really like Ian at first, because he was sort of a know-it-all.
31:34But we bonded, became fast friends.
31:36And then the two of you started spending time with some of the fighters?
31:40Yeah.
31:40They kind of took us under their wing.
31:43Some were great guys, and we got to train with the best in the business.
31:47Mr. Ray, I know this is difficult, but could you tell the court when the sexual abuse first started?
31:56No, I can't.
32:02I'm sorry?
32:03I was never sexually abused.
32:09Mr. Ray, previously you told detectives that you had been molested by Clint O'Neal.
32:14Yeah, that never happened.
32:16I remind you, you're under oath.
32:18I know.
32:22So, when you told Captain Benson that the defendant had groomed you, plied you with alcohol and drugs, and touched
32:30you sexually, that was a lie?
32:33Yeah.
32:34And when you told them that you believed Clint O'Neal killed Ian Larkin?
32:38I was lying.
32:41Or you're lying now?
32:43Mr. Carisi.
32:45Mr. Ray.
32:48Why would you lie to the police?
32:51They said Ian was dead.
32:52I felt terrible.
32:54Told them what I thought they wanted to hear.
32:56But being here now on the court, I can't do it.
33:01I gotta tell the truth.
33:29Hey, Ray, closing doors at 45, okay?
33:32Yep.
33:35Just saw Sharon Hunsinger outside.
33:37Huh?
33:38I'm assuming she's here to see you.
33:40She might have said hello.
33:42She's a fan of my work.
33:43Ah, is that what you're going with?
33:46Why is that so hard to believe?
33:49What'd she give you?
33:52What?
33:52Contract to be a client.
33:54She's gonna book me some gigs in Japan.
33:57Was it worth it?
34:00What do you want me to say?
34:03I want you to tell me how you can let someone like O'Neal get away with what they did
34:10to you.
34:12That's what they did to Ian.
34:17Ian is gone, right?
34:18I'm here.
34:20I've been living with this for 20 years.
34:22Do you know what I have to show for it?
34:24Pain.
34:25Poverty.
34:27These.
34:28This is it.
34:31Clock's running out.
34:34It's my last chance.
34:36You know what?
34:36If Ian were here, he'd understand.
34:52I feel bad for what happened to that kid.
34:55I do.
34:56But I didn't know him and I had nothing to do with his death.
35:00Why do you think Mr. Larkin was fixated on you?
35:04Well, I can't say for sure, but I've been fighting a long time.
35:10Lots of states, lots of cities, and everywhere I went, people always wanted something from me.
35:16Wanted me to be their hero, their dad, their teacher.
35:20But in this case, suppose I'm their monster.
35:25But they got the wrong guy.
35:28Nothing further?
35:38You good at your job, Mr. O'Neil?
35:40I'm a ten-time champ.
35:42You tell me.
35:44How many of those belts were in professional boxing?
35:47Two.
35:48And since then, you've fought exclusively for a bruiser fighting championship, correct?
35:53Yeah.
35:54Bigger and better things.
35:56Was it because you were permanently banned from boxing in 1992?
36:00Accused of, uh, taking a dive, if I'm not mistaken?
36:04If you say so.
36:05Well, to be fair, I'm not saying that.
36:08That's every sanctioning body in pro boxing.
36:10The WBC, the IBF, the WBA.
36:13Your point is...
36:14Well, Mr. O'Neil, I just find it interesting that you claim success because of your skill in the ring.
36:21But who's to say, given your history of cheating, that any of your fights were on the level?
36:26I mean, doesn't it call into question your entire career?
36:29No.
36:31I wouldn't say that.
36:32Well, of course you wouldn't say that.
36:33You've got a legacy to protect.
36:35But to the rest of us, your willingness to lie?
36:39To betray the sport that supposedly you care so much about?
36:42I have given my life to this business.
36:46Oh, but who's to say any of your fights were real?
36:48All your knockouts, your wins.
36:50How do we know that those guys weren't taking dives for you?
36:53You wouldn't last ten seconds with the men I faced.
36:57Oh, please.
36:57We all know you don't fight real men.
36:58Is that so?
37:00Objection.
37:00Badgering.
37:01No, no, you're out hurting teenage boys.
37:03Sustained, Mr. Carice.
37:04Shut your mouth.
37:06Is that what you tell the children you molest?
37:08Enough!
37:12Do you have any pertinent questions left, Mr. Carice?
37:19No, you're out.
37:22I have nothing for them.
37:33As to the count of murder in the second degree, how do you find?
37:38You find the defendant not guilty.
37:45Ladies and gentlemen, I know this has been a lengthy and difficult deliberation, personally,
37:50along with the state.
37:51Thank you for your service.
38:03Hey, I know that it's not the verdict that we wanted, so let's take the night to be pissed.
38:08But tomorrow morning, we start to build a new case.
38:12O'Neal was acquitted, boss.
38:14Of murder, not of sexual assault.
38:16You really think we can get an up on him without Ian or Razor?
38:19I think that Clint O'Neal has been out there.
38:21He's been a predator for a very long time.
38:24There has to be other victims.
38:26We just need to find them.
38:28It's going to be an uphill battle.
38:29Mm-hmm.
38:30Yeah, so we widen the net.
38:32We've talked to every single person that has crossed paths with Clint O'Neal in the last 20 years.
38:37But we do whatever it takes.
38:40Flight goes on.
38:41Captain Benson, message for you.
38:54Excuse me.
38:55Hey.
38:57Old fellow has jumped as he left the diner.
38:59Stabbed to death.
39:00Choked on his own blood.
39:05Rough way to go.
39:09Is the attacker in custody?
39:12Back of the squad car.
39:22Shit.
39:25I had to do something.
39:44I won't tell anyone.
39:46I promise you that.
39:47You will answer the question.
39:49My duty is to the victim.
39:52I will hold you in contempt of court.
39:56SVU, new next Thursday on NBC and Peacock.
40:00We're after a killer puppet maker.
40:04This is not what I expected.
40:10The Hunting Party, new next on NBC and Peacock.
40:14The Hunting Party, new next on NBC and Peacock.
40:18I'll see you next on NBC and Peacock.
40:18I'll see you next on NBC and Peacock.
40:19I'm going to see you next on NBC.
40:23Come on.
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